RAW 1299: April 16, 2018
The Superstar Shake-up goes into effect for Monday Night RAW. The War Goddess matches wits with six-time Women's Champion Mickie James on Raw, as Nia Jax looks on. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks Bayley and Sasha Banks’ score-settling will have to wait. The long-simmering confrontation between the two fraying friends ended up playing host to an unceremonious intrusion from The Riott Squad, the three-woman wrecking crew from SmackDown LIVE who ruthlessly attacked the two former Raw Women’s Champions in the middle of their match. They picked as dramatic a moment to do so, too, making their move right as Banks trapped The Huggable One in the Bank Statement at the end of an increasingly intense confrontation. The trio of Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan dispatched the two competing Superstars with ease, and it’s safe to say that if Bayley and Banks stay on Raw throughout the Superstar Shake-up, they may well long for the days where their biggest problem was each other. Ember Moon vs. Mickie James Alexa Bliss may be doubling down on her claims that it was Nia Jax, not her, who was the bully throughout their long rivalry. But The Irresistible Force was hardly the most immediate problem Team Bliss faced on Raw, as Ember Moon pinned Bliss’ lieutenant Mickie James one week after downing Alexa during her Raw debut last week. With Nia watching on commentary (Alexa, allegedly for her own safety, refused to join the crew), Moon once again demonstrated the unique style that took her all the way to the NXT Women’s Championship. That included the devastating Eclipse, which hit its mark so effectively that Mickie was sent flying across the ring. Ember and Nia might be on friendly terms now, but — as the commentary team was quick to point out — with Moon rising as a player in a stacked Raw Women’s division, it might not be long before Bliss isn’t the most immediate problem the champion faces, either. Titus Worldwide tries to recruit Dolph Ziggler Dolph Ziggler is back on Raw, and he did not come alone. The Showoff’s return to Team Red ended up doubling as the Superstar Shake-up's first roster move involving NXT when Drew McIntyre stormed the ring from the crowd, helping Ziggler to dispose of Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews after they tried to recruit Dolph to Titus Worldwide. The former NXT Champion’s arrival left the WWE Universe aghast and immediately provided major returns for Ziggler, as McIntyre held Titus against the turnbuckle while Dolph administered a superkick, and the two wiped out Apollo Crews with a combo of the Claymore Kick and Zig-Zag. Mandy Rose vs. Natalya To hear Natalya tell it, she came to Raw for one reason and one reason alone: To remind the WWE Universe that she is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be — second, perhaps, only to Ronda Rousey, whom The Queen of Harts helped train. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion certainly got off to a good start in her Team Red return, submitting Mandy Rose with the Sharpshooter despite the threat of Sonya Deville at ringside. But a two-on-one attack from Absolution brought Rousey into the fray, and The Baddest Woman on the Planet quickly dispatched Deville with several strikes and a takedown when The Jersey Devil (boldly) put her hair up and squared up. That Natalya won the match makes her Raw return a success, but perhaps the most intimidating takeaway is that Natalya’s enemies could just be Ronda Rousey’s enemies as well. Results * Bayley fought Sasha Banks to a no contest * Ember Moon def. Mickie James * Natalya def. Mandy Rose (w/ Sonya Deville) Category:Monday Night RAW Category:2018 television episodes Category:Alexa Bliss Category:Bayley Category:Dana Brooke Category:Ember Moon Category:Liv Morgan Category:Mandy Rose Category:Mickie James Category:Natalya Category:Nia Jax Category:Renee Young Category:Ronda Rousey Category:Ruby Riott Category:Sasha Banks Category:Sarah Logan Category:Sonya Deville